The present invention concerns an improved resealable container for storing and dispensing liquids.
Known in the prior art containers formed in a one-piece molded construction in which the container closure is coupled to the container neck by means of a frangible section. In order to permit removal of the contents from the container, the closure is severed from the neck at the frangible section and the closure is removed.
In certain medical applications, the contents of the container comprise sterile liquids and it is desirable that once the closure is removed from the neck of the container, the closure cannot be resealed with respect thereto. On the other hand, it is often desirable in certain medical and pharmaceutical applications, as well as in other fields, that once the closure is removed from the neck of the container, a portion of the liquid is removed from the container and the closure can then be resealed with respect to the neck. Various types of devices have been proposed in connection with severing the closure from the neck of the container; some of these devices enable the closure to be resealed with respect to the neck, while other devices do not enable resealability.
The various devices proposed for severing the closure from the neck of the container generally take the form of an outer ring which has internal threads that threadly cooperate with the external threads carried by the neck of the container. In one form of severing device, an outer ring carries an inwardly extending flange at its top surface which serves to abut the top of the closure and force the closure downwardly when the outer ring is threaded downwardly, thereby severing the closure from the neck at the frangible section. While this type of severing ring is useful to sever the closure from the neck, after the closure is severed there are three separate pieces--the bottle portion, the closure cap and the severing ring. While the closure cap may be resealed by placing it over the neck and screwing the separate severing ring downwardly thereon, such resealing has been found to be relatively difficult.
Another type of severing device comprises an outer ring having an inwardly extending flange which extends into a recess defined around the closure cap. When the outer ring is screwed downwardly, the closure cap is severed from the neck at the frangible section. It has been found, however, that this type of severing device is relatively difficult to manufacture. Extremely close tolerances are required or else the interference fit between the severing device and the closure cap will create problems. For example, if the diameter of the closure cap is too small, the severing ring will not captivate the cap but will instead operate similarly to the severing ring described above. Further, it has been found that when the severing ring is brought into place, it may break the closure cap off the neck accidently.
Another type of severing device utilizes a plurality of inwardly extending fingers which surrounds the closure cap underneath an outwardly extending flange defined by the closure cap. When the severing ring is rotated upwardly, the severing ring will break the closure cap away from the neck in an upward direction. This type of severing ring does not captivate the cap and does not provide a resealable system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a resealable container in which the closure cap is captivated by a severing ring that is utilized to sever the closure cap from the neck in a downward direction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a resealable container that is formed in a one-piece, molded construction and has a severing ring which can be easily engaged with respect to the container without accidently severing the closure cap from the container neck.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a resealable container that is simple in construction and is easy to manufacture.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a resealable medical container for storing and dispensing sterile liquids which utilizes a closure cap that is captivated by means of a severing ring having slightly flexible fingers and which severing ring operates to sever the closure cap from the neck of the container when the severing ring is threaded downwardly with respect to the neck of the container.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.